Tag Archives: Smart Trash Can

Bruno is the world’s smartest trash can

Bruno is a smart, Wi-Fi-enabled trash can with an integrated vacuum. 

From your appliances to your cookware, just about everything in your kitchen seems to be getting smarter… including your trash can. That’s because Birmingham, Alabama-based entrepreneurs Jim Howard and Lori Montag have launched an Indiegogo campaign for bruno, a connected garbage bin that not only opens with a wave of a hand but vacuums up dust and restocks itself as well.

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Whereas similar solutions attach to an existing pail to transform it into an intelligent device, brunoSMART is a sleek, free-standing accessory that features a built-in vacuum and Arduino circuitry. As a user sweeps their pile of crumbs, hair and Cheerios towards it, an embedded motion sensor detects when you’re nearby and activates its integrated system, which guzzles up the debris and automatically deposits it inside the bag. In other words, say goodbye to the aggravation of dustpans!

What’s more, brunoSMART will make sure forgetting to take the trash out is a thing of the past. Through its accompanying mobile app, the Wi-Fi-enabled can will send you an alert reminding you to bring the waste out to the curb and will even reorder bags when your supply is running low. The 13-gallon unit operates for 30 days on its 18V battery, and is equipped with a retractable charging cord and filtration area under its lid.

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brunoSMART is available in five different colors — arctic white, slate grey, harbor blue, urban red and stainless — so it’ll surely match any kitchen decor! Aside from its smart home-ready variant, bruno also comes in a base model that offers everything but the wireless connectivity and an industrial strength brunoMAX version designed to withstand the wear and tear of commercial and industrial settings.

Sound like something you would love? Head over to its Indiegogo page, where its creators are currently seeking $25,000. Delivery is expected to get underway in February 2016.

TetraBIN combines of 8-bit video games and waste removal

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One Maker duo is combining the old-school game of Tetris and the Internet of Things to create one ‘smart’ trash can. 

We’ve seen talking water fountains. We’ve seen smart benches. We’ve even seen LED sidewalks. Now, add interactive trash cans to the growing list of ambient objects you’d likely come across in any public park. The brainchild Sam Johnson & Steven Bai, TetraBIN uses custom-built electronics and LED panels to reimagine an everyday garbage can and to help promote sustainable behaviors and playful experiences throughout a city. A pair of prototype installations initially debuted back at Vivid Sydney 2014, which happens to be the largest lighting festival in Australia.

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“It’s the childhood dream of both of us to create products and services to encourage sustained changes in people’s lives. Motivated by the idea of play as a way of inspiring people (especially the younger generation) to be aware of environmental sustainability issues such as littering problems, we have augmented a trash bin with the latest computing technology,” the duo writes.

Reminiscent of ‘80s video games with its sounds and 8-bit images, the aptly-named TetraBIN allows users to collaboratively control Tetris-like blocks on its screen on its outer surface. The pattern of these blocks vary based on the size and shape of the litter, as well as the timing of disposal. 

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Each Arduino-compatible TetraBIN is powered by an ATmega32U4 and equipped with WS2812 RGB LEDs, IR beam sensors and chiptune sounds made by an 8-bit processor that are emitted from a built-in speaker. What’s more, the interactive trash can is remotely accessible from the Internet, further bridging the gap between the digital and physical world.

The installation itself utilizes the latest in LED media façade technology. Johnson and Bai implemented custom-produced displays — each with 900 LEDs that were manually mounted onto laser-cut Perspex and covered with a translucent layer of polycarbonate — onto the circular surface of the trash container. Three pairs of custom-developed infrared sensors were used on each bin to recognize the items being thrown away. This information is then relayed to the Arduino, causing similarly-sized digital block to appear on its external panel and fall to the bottom. The vibrantly-colored brick stays there until the next person deposits their rubbish and one row of the panel is filled. Then, just like in the game Tetris, the row disappears.

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“TetraBIN explores how digital technologies can be used to motivate positive change in urban environments. It uses gamified approaches – making use of game mechanics and game thinking – turn an activity traditionally considered trivial, such as depositing rubbish into a bin, into a joyful event.” 

The project recently launched on Kickstarter, however was unsuccessful in achieving its goal. Nevertheless, this concept is certainly an innovative way to make litter more entertaining, and more importunity, will hopefully encourage more folks to partake in proper waste disposal. Intrigued? Head over to its official page here, and be sure to watch it in action below!